The Kostal Asia R&D Centre subsidiary of automotive supplier Kostal Group of Germany has adopted MathWorks’ Model-Based Design to achieve on-schedule ISO 26262 functional safety-based certification for its new electronic steering column lock module. Extending the use of Simulink for early verification and validation and Embedded Coder for production code generation allowed Kostal to develop a module compliant with Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL D). This certification level requires the highest verification and validation practices throughout the development process and the most rigorous qualification of development tools across all ISO 26262 levels.

Kostal is the first company in China to achieve ISO 26262 ASIL D level certification for an automotive product. The integrated tool chain from MathWorks, including Simulink and Embedded Coder, allowed Kostal engineers to quickly evolve their software development processes and meet ISO 26262 objectives on schedule. The Kostal team performed systematic verification of the models in simulation, conducted model standards checking with Simulink Verification and Validation, and then moved to processor-in-the-loop testing and production code generation with Embedded Coder. The robustness of the software was verified in the development and integration phases with Polyspace Bug Finder and Polyspace Code Prover.

The ISO 26262 certification recognizes that Kostal’s electronic steering column lock module meets the stringent criteria specified in the standard, and provides third parties with an independent means of assessing the capabilities of a potential supplier. The certified electronic steering column lock module has been approved for upcoming production by SAIC General Motors Corporation Limited.

“Our goal is to meet the challenge of developing high-integrity automotive electronics and electronic systems without compromising speed or budget,” said Hui Cheng, platform and process manager, Kostal Asia R&D Centre. “Model-Based Design with production code generation has allowed our new electronic steering column lock module to quickly and successfully meet ASIL D requirements. Now, our customers can confidently integrate the module into their systems without compromising their own automotive design and certification objectives.”

“We are delighted to have supported Kostal in achieving ISO 26262 certification using MathWorks tools,” said Wensi Jin, automotive industry manager, MathWorks. “I am confident that Kostal will continue to gain development efficiency through simulation, production code generation, and early verification.”